Hair coloring device

ABSTRACT

An improved hair coloring device is a lightweight cylindrical unit measuring approximately four to five inches (4″-5″) in length, with a slightly curved handle to provide a comfortable, ergonomic grip. The hollowed interior of the improved hair coloring device would house the interchangeable cartridge of chosen hair dye, which would extend downward and distribute out of an egress point or nozzle. A comb attachment, and an optional brush attachment are able to be inserted into this nozzle as well. Premixed and comprised of colorant ingredients, the dye cartridges for the improved hair coloring device would be produced in a manageable mousse form, as well as a liquid form, with a virtually endless array of shades to match the popular hair colorants available on the market, as well as any user&#39;s own natural hair color. A battery operated, automatic dispenser is also available for times when house current is not available.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 62/305,514, filed Mar. 8, 2016 which application is incorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of hair coloring devices and more specifically relates to a compact, ergonomic, handheld apparatus that is specially designed for applying liquid or foam colorant, from interchangeable color cartridges, to small areas of gray hair comprising a comb attachment, pressurized color dispenser and applicator to provide professional salons, as well as their clientele, with a simplified, mess-free procedure for masking gray hair and retouching roots, that also reduces colorant waste.

2. Description of the Related Art

Throughout history, men and women have utilized hair coloring as a simple means of altering or improving their appearance. In ancient Egypt, concoctions of henna, sage and indigo were liberally applied to the hair in order to brighten the color and cover gray, while the ancient Gauls painted their hair red to signify class. During the Renaissance period, golden hair was very popular, and women mixed black sulfur, alum and honey, applying it to their hair and spreading their tresses over a brim-less hat until the sun helped them achieve the shade they desired. In the “modern” era of the 1920's flappers and socialites alike applied metallic minerals mixed with harsh chemicals in order to stain their hair dark black, while the 1930's saw countless women rushing to salons in order to have their hair bleached with stringent chemicals in emulation of the original “blonde bombshell” Jean Harlow. Today, approximately 6 out of every 10 women and countless men use some form of hair coloring. A specialized field, color stylists of today are more artists than mere barbers or beauticians. With an endless color palette to choose from, and new techniques such as dimensional hair coloring, consumers are finding that colored hair can be rich in depth, yet shimmer with natural looking highlights.

For those who color their hair via trips to the salon, or for those who color their hair themselves with frequent application of home dye kits, maintaining a colored hairstyle can be both costly and tedious. The above proves especially true for those who desire to disguise a only a small area of gray, such as at the roots, along the temples, and even men who sport facial hair. Only needing a “touch up” to mask the roots and temples, both women and men find themselves spending hundreds of dollars in a salon for a full treatment of the entire head. Men with facial hair are at the mercy of complicated coloring kits that are unwieldy and time consuming to use. Additionally, the mixing of colorant ingredients invariably results in a daunting mess left behind on salon and bathroom counters and in sinks, all for just a tiny bit of cosmetic camouflage.

Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,647,933 to Martin Alejandro Morgenstern; U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,835 to Thomas A. Harlan; and U.S. Publication No. 2005/0092340 to Peter Rijskamp. This art is representative of hair coloring devices. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.

Ideally, a hair coloring device should provide a compact, handheld device which is able to target specific areas to be colored, and yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable improved hair coloring device to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known hair coloring device art, the present invention provides a novel improved hair coloring device. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail is to provide a compact, ergonomic, handheld apparatus that is specially designed for applying liquid or foam colorant, from interchangeable color cartridges, to small areas of gray hair comprising a comb attachment, pressurized color dispenser and applicator to provide professional salons, as well as their clientele, with a simplified, mess-free procedure for masking gray hair and retouching roots, that also reduces colorant waste.

An improved hair coloring device is disclosed herein comprising a main body formed having a cylindrical shape including a front portion including a first aperture adapted to allow a button member to extend therethrough, and a second aperture adapted to allow a tube member to extend therethrough, and a comb attachment to connect thereto which connects with the tube member, and a back portion connected with the front portion via respective interdigitating screw threads.

The main body forms a hollow interior with the back portion which contains a color canister including a canister body having an aperture therethrough adapted to allow liquid colorant to pass through, and is adapted to releasably connect with the tube member. The canister body forms a hollow interior volume, with a liquid colorant disposed within the interior volume and is adapted to fit within the interior volume of the main body.

The main body main body is formed having a cross-section that is curved with a plurality of ridges on an exterior surface to provide a curved gripping area, has a length between 4 inches and 5 inches, and is formed from a material chosen from a group of materials consisting of plastic, stainless steel, and ceramic. It further has a comb attachment and an optional brush attachment formed from plastic material which have a hollow interior adapted to allow liquid colorant to pass therethrough, an end portion adapted to releasably connect with the second aperture of the main body, and bristle members attached to an opposite end from the end portion and adapted to receive liquid colorant formed as foam mousse thereon and used to place liquid colorant upon the hair of a user.

A tube member is adapted to be connected between the end portion of the comb attachment and the aperture of the color canister, such that liquid colorant can pass from the color canister to the comb attachment or optional brush attachment. A button member is attached to the first aperture of the main body and is adapted to connect with the tube member and color canister, to allow flow from the color canister, and to cut off flow of liquid colorant between the color canister and comb attachment or optional brush attachment. The button member is adapted such that when pressed creates a pressure inside the tube member forcing liquid colorant to pass from the color canister, through the tube member and into and out of the comb attachment or brush attachment. A plurality of color canisters are available, such that the color canister can be interchangeable by another chosen canister, and each of the plurality of color canisters includes a liquid colorant that is different from the liquid colorant of the rest, thereby offering a user a choice of liquid colorants to choose from.

The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as an improved hair coloring device. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, improved hair coloring device constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view illustrating an improved hair coloring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating an improved hair coloring device according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the interior components of an improved hair coloring device according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating an improved hair coloring device according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a hair coloring device and more particularly to an improved hair coloring device as used to improve the ability of a user to target specific areas of hair to be colored with a handheld, compact device with interchangeable color cartridges, pressurized dispenser, comb attachment, and applicator to provide a professional mess and waste free procedure.

Generally speaking, an improved hair coloring device is a lightweight cylindrical unit measuring approximately four to five inches (4″-5″) in length, with a slightly curved handle to provide a comfortable, ergonomic grip. The hollowed interior of the improved hair coloring device would house the interchangeable cartridge of chosen hair dye, which would extend downward and distribute out of an egress point or nozzle. A comb attachment is able to be inserted into this nozzle as well. Premixed and comprised of colorant ingredients, the dye cartridges for the improved hair coloring device would be produced in a manageable mousse form, as well as a liquid form, with a virtually endless array of shades to match the popular hair colorants available on the market, as well as any user's own natural hair color. A battery operated, automatic dispenser is also available for times when house current is not available.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown in FIG. 1, a front perspective view illustrating an improved hair coloring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Improved hair coloring device 100 is disclosed herein comprising main body 104 formed having cylindrical shape 108 including front portion 112 having first aperture 114 adapted to allow button member 116 to extend therethrough, and second aperture 124 adapted to allow tube member 136 to extend through, comb attachment 144 and optional brush attachment 170 to connect thereto which connects with tube member 136, and back portion 150 connected with front portion 112 via respective interdigitating screw threads 166.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a rear perspective view illustrating an improved hair coloring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Main body 104 forms hollow interior 106 with back portion 150 which contains color canister 152 including canister body 154 having aperture 156 therethrough adapted to allow liquid colorant 158 to pass through, and is adapted to releasably connect with tube member 136. Canister body 154 forms hollow interior volume 160, with liquid colorant 158 disposed within interior volume 160 and is adapted to fit within hollow interior 106 of main body 104.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view illustrating the interior components of an improved hair coloring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Main body 104 is formed having a cross-section that is curved 109 with plurality of ridges 110 on exterior surface 111 to provide a curved gripping area 107, has a length between 4 inches and 5 inches, and is formed from a material chosen from a group of materials consisting of plastic, stainless steel, and ceramic. It further has comb attachment 144 formed from plastic material 146 which has hollow interior 147 adapted to allow liquid colorant 158 to pass therethrough, and end portion 148 adapted to releasably connect with second aperture 124 of main body 104, and bristle members 145 attached to an opposite end from end portion 148 and adapted to receive liquid colorant 158 formed as foam mousse thereon and used to place liquid colorant 158 upon the hair of a user. It further has optional brush attachment 170 formed from plastic material 146 which has hollow interior 172 adapted to allow liquid colorant 158 to pass therethrough, and end portion 174 adapted to releasably connect with second aperture 124 of main body 104, and bristle members 176 attached to an opposite end from end portion 148 and adapted to receive liquid colorant 158 formed as foam mousse thereon and used to place liquid colorant 158 upon the hair of a user.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an exploded view illustrating an improved hair coloring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Tube member 136 is adapted to be connected between end portion 148 of comb attachment 144 and aperture 156 of color canister 152, such that liquid colorant 158 can pass from color canister 152 to comb attachment 144 or optional brush attachment 170. Button member 116 is attached to first aperture 114 of main body 104 and is adapted to connect with tube member 136 and color canister 152 and adapted to allow and to cut off flow of liquid colorant 158 between color canister 152, comb attachment 144, and alternately, optional brush attachment 170. Button member 116 is adapted such that when pressed creates a pressure inside tube member 136 forcing liquid colorant 158 to pass from color canister 152, through tube member 136 and into and out of comb attachment 144 or optional brush attachment 170. A plurality of color canisters 152 are available, such that color canister 152 can be interchangeable by another chosen color canister 152, and each of the plurality of color canisters 152 includes liquid colorant 158 that is different from liquid colorant 158 of the rest, thereby offering a user a choice of liquid colorants 158 to choose from.

Improved hair coloring device 100 may be manufactured and provided for sale in a wide variety of sizes and shapes for a wide assortment of applications. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, or arrangements such as, for example, including more or less components, customized parts, different color combinations, parts may be sold separately, etc., may be sufficient.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. 

What is claimed is new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:
 1. A hair coloring device for covering gray hair, comprising: a main body including: a front portion; wherein said front portion includes: a first aperture therethrough adapted to allow a button member to extend therethrough; and a second aperture therethrough adapted to allow a tube member to extend therethrough, and a comb attachment to releasably connect thereto and connect with said tube member; <a back portion releasably connected with said front portion wherein said main body forms a hollow interior volume; a color canister including: a canister body including: an aperture therethrough; wherein said aperture is adapted to allow liquid colorant to pass therethrough, and is adapted to releasably connect with said tube member; and wherein said canister body forms a hollow interior volume, and is adapted to fit within said interior volume of said main body; and a liquid colorant; wherein said liquid colorant is disposed within said interior volume of said canister body; a comb attachment including: a hollow interior adapted to allow said liquid colorant to pass therethrough; an end portion adapted to releasably connect with said second aperture of said main body; and bristle members attached to an opposite end from said end portion and adapted to receive said liquid colorant thereon and be used to place said liquid colorant upon the hair of a user; an optional brush attachment including: a hollow interior adapted to allow said liquid colorant to pass therethrough; an end portion adapted to releasably connect with said second aperture of said main body; and bristle members attached to an opposite end from said end portion and adapted to receive said liquid colorant thereon and be used to place said liquid colorant upon the hair of a user; a tube member; wherein said tube member is adapted to be releasably connected between said end portion of said comb attachment and said aperture of said color canister, such that said liquid colorant can pass from said color canister to said comb attachment; and a button member; wherein said button member is attached to said first aperture of said main body and is adapted to connect with one of said tube member and said color canister and adapted to allow and to cut off flow of said liquid colorant between said color canister and said comb attachment.
 2. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said main body is formed having a cylindrical shape.
 3. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said main body is formed from a material chosen from a group of materials consisting of plastic, stainless steel, and ceramic.
 4. The hair coloring device of claim 2, wherein said main body is formed having a length between 4 inches and 5 inches.
 5. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said main body is formed having a cross-section that is curved to thereby provide a curved gripping area.
 6. The hair coloring device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said color canisters, such that said color canister can be interchangeable and replaced by another chosen canister; and wherein each of said plurality of said color canisters includes a liquid colorant that is different from the liquid colorant of the rest, thereby offering a user a choice of liquid colorants to choose from.
 7. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said color canister is pressurized.
 8. The hair coloring device of claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of color canisters are pressurized.
 9. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said main body includes a plurality of ridges on an exterior surface thereof adapted to allow a user to more securely grip said hair coloring device.
 10. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said back portion of said main body is releasably connected to said front portion through respective interdigitating screw threads.
 11. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said end portion of said comb attachment is releasably connected with said second aperture of said main body through respective interdigitating screw threads.
 12. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said comb attachment is formed from a plastic material.
 13. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said liquid colorant is formed as a liquid foam mousse.
 14. The hair coloring device of claim 1, wherein said button member is adapted such that when pressed creates a pressure inside said tube member forcing said liquid colorant to pass from said color canister, through said tube member and into and out of said comb attachment. 